Ashridge House has announced it will be offering a bespoke dining festive experience and magical illuminated woodland walk in the heart of Hertfordshire next month.
After what has been a relentless year for many due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this newly-announced event – The Enchanted Garden Globes – will be the perfect festive antidote to round-up a turbulent 2020, and will give you the chance to escape reality for an evening.
Now I know what you’re thinking… “Hertfordshire is f****** three away!”
We hear you. But if things go to plan, this could be the perfect post-lockdown weekend getaway right slap bang in the middle of the Christmas period that we didn’t even think we’d get.
And for the first time ever, the private gardens of this magnificent former palace will be transformed into a magical festive dining experience to “surprise and delight the senses”.
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The Enchanted Garden Globes have been specifically created to accommodate the ‘rule of six’.
The globes have been built bespoke for extraordinary views across the park at Ashridge House and will be heated and dressed for a truly unique festive experience.
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As part of the experience, guests will also be invited into the winter mist to enjoy a bespoke illuminated woodland walk with beautiful light installations, secret hideaways, tunnels of falling stars, hot toddies, glittering grottos and surprise encounters along the way.
Ashridge House Presents: The Enchanted Garden Globes, a festive private dining experience Opening a little later than planned, we are delighted to announce our Enchanted Garden Globes and illuminated woodland walk are now available from 3rd December! https://t.co/JJ0am0iJ3Upic.twitter.com/8mNL5hAwpS
From the magnificent vaulted entrance of twinkling Christmas trees, to the spectacular Harry Potter staircase and the spellbinding yuletide outdoor wonderland, The Enchanted Garden Globes is described as a “magical dining experience like no other”.
What makes Ashridge House the perfect place for a festive staycation getaway then?
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Once a royal residence to King Henry VIII and home to his daughter – Princess Elizabeth I – Ashridge House is a hidden gem in leafy Hertfordshire, only 30 miles from London and surrounded by 190 acres of “quintessentially English gardens”.
With grand, turreted façades and historic grounds, Ashridge House is a truly enchanting festive backdrop.
The Enchanted Garden Globes at Ashridge House
After a challenging 2020, the The Enchanted Garden Globes – which are taking place at a range of dates between 3rd – 31st December and with new dates in January 2021 set to be announced – will offer guests the perfect woodland escape and bring some much-needed Christmas magic to the year.
There are two bespoke dining packages to choose from:
The Lunch Experience
12pm – 4pm
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£90per person – Private Dome (x6 guests per globe)
Arrival glass of fizz.
Spiced mulled wine.
Four-course festive feast dining experience, paired with glass of wine.
Tea & coffee post lunch.
Private dining Garden Globe accommodating up to six guests for four hours (with private sound system, heating and cosy lighting).
Full access to the Enchanted Woodland Walk and Ashridge Gardens.
Festive entertainment and fun.
The Enchanted Garden Globes at Ashridge House
The Dinner Experience
6pm – 10pm
£155 per person – Private Dome (x6 guests per globe)
Arrival glass of fizz.
Spiced mulled wine.
Five-course festive feast dining experience, paired with half a bottle of wine.
Tea & coffee post dinner.
Private dining Garden Globe accommodating up to six guests for four hours (with private sound system, heating and cosy lighting).
Full access to the Enchanted Woodland Walk and Ashridge Gardens – illuminated light trail.
Festive entertainment and fun, including ‘Santa’s Secret Grotto’.
You can book your tickets to The Enchanted Garden Globes and find more information – including menus and the property’s COVID-19 response – via the Ashridge House website here.
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Stockport County defender Brad Hills ruled out for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
In a big blow to their promotion push, Stockport County have been hit with a major injury and loss to their first-team squad, as defender Brad Hills has been ruled out for what looks to be the remainder of the season and then some.
Not what Hatters will want to hear with crunch-time in and around the playoffs now well underway.
Having emerged as even more of a starring centre-back this year, following his initial loan spell with the club during the previous campaign, Brad Hills has arguably been one of Stockport’s best and most reliable players in 2025/26 thus far – but not County will have to do without him.
Although the exact severity is yet to be fully revealed, the former Norwich City youth academy graduate is said to have hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Confirming the news on social media, the Greater Manchester side stated: “We regret to inform supporters that Brad Hills sustained an ACL injury in Saturday’s draw at Luton Town that will rule him out for the foreseeable future.
“Our full focus is on supporting Brad throughout his recovery – we know he’ll come back stronger”
For anyone unaware, ACL tears/ruptures are among some of the worst injuries in football, and depending on the extent of the damage, it can take anywhere between six months and a full year to bounce back.
Safe to say, therefore, that supporters have been left gutted by the update, with one commenting, “Awful, awful news”; another simply wrote, “FFS”.
After typing a very long expletive following the show news, fan podcast The Scarf Bergara Wore wrote: “Wishing Bradley Hills a speedy recovery – come back stronger!
Since becoming a permanent signing back in August, he’s earned multiple man-of-the-match awards in blue and white, not to mention contributed to a decent number of clean sheets. He’ll be a big miss in their backline.
While it’s no doubt a big setback as the League One team looks to get promoted into the Championship, the absence could see manager Dave Challinor reshuffle the pack and perhaps even the formation for the remaining fixtures.
One option is Louie Barry, who – depending on the setup – could finally be set for a return to the pitch after he was signed on a third loan deal this past January, but is still continuing his own rehab following a knee operation.
Put it this way, with not many games left, lots of County fans are probably wishing that the pending and potential further changes in the EFL could have come sooner…
Embrace announce intimate live show in beloved Bury music venue
Danny Jones
British alternative veterans Embrace have announced another intimate show here in Greater Manchester, only this time it’s over in Bury at a stunning small-cap arts venue.
It’s not often you get to see such a long-standing band play outside of the city centre so far into their career, especially in gorgeous grassroots spaces like this one.
A fellow Northern outfit, they’ve often been lumped in with that ‘post-Britpop’ era of music, and plenty throw around the so-called ‘dad rock’ label, but honestly, we couldn’t care either way: they remain among the UK’s perennially underappreciated underdogs that never get old, as far as we’re concerned.
Revealing a handful of new live dates for their album launch this summer, they’ll be making just two appearances in the North West on the run.
Writing in the post, the group said: “We’ve lined up a run of exclusive UK dates in venues that are some of the smallest we’ve played in years. It’s going to be special, but capacity is extremely limited.”
As you can see, besides the Jacaranda Baltic in Liverpool, the only other place in this region where they’re set to play for this mini tour is The Met over in Bury.
One of the most beautiful gig spots, not just in the town but in all the 10 boroughs, for our money, the room only holds around 400 standing and roughly 250 seats.
For seasoned artists like this lot, who are more used to playing big festival stages and big domestic headline tours – which they’re also doing later this year – it’s sure to be a special night.
Toasting the release of their ninth studio LP, Avalanche, this spin-off on the tried and tested in-store format wouldn’t be possible without the help of local record store, Wax and Beans, who are promoting and hosting the show.
But we can’t lie, there’s something about the idea of seeing them decades on from when they first tightly-packed out crowds of this size.
If you want to be part of the Embrace album launch tour, you can get ready to grab your tickets at 10am this Friday, 27 March, right HERE. And speaking of great record shops…
Emily Sergeant -
13th November 2020 
